The Call to Action Group is raising funds to train an Assistance Dog to support a veteran with PTSD through the charity program, Defence Community Dogs.

Defence Community Dogs is an independent program that provides qualified Assistance Dogs, at no cost, to serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who need support for mood, depressive and anxiety disorders, including Post-traumatic Stress.

In addition to providing loyal companionship, Defence Community Dogs are trained in specific behavious that assist in reducing PTSD and anxiety including, but not limited to; signalling and interrupting preliminary signs of stressful body language, preventing the anxiety from excalating, placing themselves as a physical block between the Veteran and unsettling situations or people.  This includes waking their veteran from night terrors and resting their head on the Veteran's leg during time of stress or anxiety.

It takes more than 250 hours of initial training and costs around $30,000 over the working life of the dog to train, place and support each DCD Assistance Dog and Veteran.